When you have experienced a true loss, it is hard to do anything. It’s enough to get out of bed and to remember to eat.
Sitting still in a meditation can be overwhelming. You may not want to shine a light on the magnitude of your devastation.
Meditation is designed to create space for whatever is, even the most unpleasant experiences of life. It’s designed to make us realize that there are moments inside the most difficult moments that are simple.
Sometimes the best you can do when you are grieving is to put one foot in front of the other. This meditation will allow you to do just that.
A walking meditation can be a metaphor in action, but it can also allow you to get out of your head for a moment and into your feet.
Feel free to do this inside and for an incredibly short distance, say from the fridge to the couch.
Take off your shoes. Feel the contact your feet make with the ground.
Notice what part of your foot feels heavy and which part feels light.
Slowly lift one foot, peeling it off the floor the way a kid curiously peels off a bandage. Place it in front of the other, letting it hit the ground in steps: heel, ball, toes.
Go to the other foot with avid curiosity and attention. Notice the sensations in your ankles, knees, thighs, hips and pelvis.
Let every step ground you into the earth.
Pause occasionally with both feet on the ground. Breathe deeply. If you have the energy to do so, walk further and at your regular rhythm. If you don’t, be compassionate towards your healing and rest.
Every step you make is monumental.
